Welcome to the latest edition of “workout Wednesday” when each week I share a new running workout or strength training for runners exercises. This week we are discussing the essential strength training exercises for runners, the reasons they are beneficial to your performance and running health. You can choose an exercise or two from each category to build your strength training for runners program.

Learn how to develop your program to avoid burnout, overtraining, and injury, how to keep progressing the exercises for better results, and how to determine how much rest you need.

Always warm up before a workout with dynamic stretching, mobility exercises, exercise specific warm-up sets or foam rolling. By prepping your body for the upcoming workout, you’ll perform better and reduce the chance of an injury.

CHOOSE YOUR STRENGTH TRAINING FOR RUNNERS EXERCISES

Strength training for runners look very different than strength training for bodybuilding. Runners need to build running-specific strength to improve in the sport. I’ve included examples of the types of exercises that are most effective for running performance and injury prevention. Choose one or two exercises from each category.

GLUTE, HAMSTRING, QUAD BILATERAL STRENGTH

Strong glutes, hamstrings, and quads will give you the strength to run faster and longer, as they are same muscles you use to run. Muscles stabilize the joints, so developed muscles around the joint help prevent joint injuries.

DEADLIFTS

SQUATS

HIP THRUSTERS

SINGLE LEG INDEPENDENT STRENGTH AND BALANCE

When you run through the gait cycle, you land and balance on one leg before repeating on the other leg. Single leg strength and balance exercises can directly improve your running ability and help with injury prevention.

SINGLE LEG DEADLIFT

SINGLE LEG BENCH SQUAT

LUNGES

BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUAT

GLUTEUS MEDIUS, ADDUCTORS/LATERAL STRENGTH

When you run you move in one plane of motion, the sagittal plane, which is forward (and technically backward). If you don’t deliberately strengthen the muscles in the frontal plane; side to side or lateral movements, you may develop muscle imbalances that can lead to injury. If you only have time to do a couple of exercises, make these movements the priority, they are probably the most important for runners.

BANDED LATERAL SQUATS

SIDE LUNGE

CORE STRENGTH AND ROTATIONAL POWER

A strong core is essential to maintain running form, especially on long runs. Strengthening the core and developing rotational power is necessary for runners to maintain balanced strength throughout the body.

LIFT AND CHOP

PLANK TO SIDE PLANK

PLANK WITH SHOULDER TAPS

BACK/SHOULDERS/CHEST STRENGTH

Strong back muscles keep your upright with a proper running form once you get tired. If your back is weak, you’ll sacrifice form and risk an injury if your body hunches over from fatigue. Strong shoulders, chest, and back improve your arm drive which powers your stride.

SINGLE ARM KNEELING OVERHEAD PRESS

BENT OVER ROWS

HIGH PULLS

PUSH UPS

CHOOSE YOUR EQUIPMENT

You can adapt these exercises to use nearly any form of resistance from a barbell, a kettlebell, dumbbells, or resistance bands. I demonstrated most of these exercises with dumbbells as they are most accessible. Try these exercises with different equipment to feel the difference, choose the ones you prefer, if you enjoy your workout, you’re more likely to stick to it.

CHOOSE YOUR WEIGHT

Choose a weight that you can lift for the exercise between eight and twelve reps. If you can easily complete twelve reps and feel like you continue to 15-20 reps, then increase the weight and lower the reps. The weight should feel challenging but achievable in the eight-twelve rep range. If you can’t perform eight reps with perfect form, choose a lower weight to complete the exercise.

It’s also important to note that the weight will change depending on the exercise. The back and glutes are big muscles, so you likely will be able to use heavier weights with these exercises than you can for exercises that work smaller muscles, like the single arm overhead press.

CHOOSE YOUR SETS AND REPS

Rep = Repetitions, the number of times you lift and lower the weight in succession without rest

Set = The number of groups of reps. If you complete 12 repetitions, that is one set. If you perform 12 reps then rest, then perform another 12 reps, that is two sets.

Rest = Thirty seconds to two minutes between sets.

If you’re new to strength training start with one set of each exercise in the 8-12 rep range, one or two days a week. In a week or two progress by adding another set of 8-12, then a few weeks later add a third. If you start with three sets from zero, it will likely be too much, which can negatively impact your training days and set you back if you’re too sore to run over the next several days. Excessively sore muscles do not equal a good workout and may be a sign you overtrained. Mild soreness is normal when performing new exercises 24-48 hours post-workout.

Starting small and building over time the safest, the most sustainable —and enjoyable way to go. If you overdo it on the first workout, you’ll be too sore to workout again for a week. You have all the time in the world to do it right; you don’t get better results by doing more.

HOW TO PROGRESS TO KEEP GETTING STRONGER

To progress, avoid plateaus, and get stronger you need to provide new stimulus for growth in your workouts. If you do the same exercises with the same reps, the same weights, and the same sets, month after month, your progress will stall.

Once you build to three sets of each exercise as described above, try to increase either weight or the reps each week, even if by just a couple of pounds or a couple of reps. Don’t rush progress, but try to squeeze out an extra rep or a few extra pounds on each exercise each week where applicable.

BUILD IN REST DAYS

Most athletes need at least one full rest day per week. The amount of rest you need varies depending on how long you’ve been training (newer athlete needs more), your age (older usually needs more), the volume and intensity of training (more volume and intensity most likely requires more rest) and your genetics (genetically gifted need less rest — those jerks).

It can be challenging when trying to marry a running program with a strength training program in the same week. I usually allow complete rest days after a long run or a high-intensity workout. I pair moderate intensity (short) runs with moderate intensity short strength workouts. i.e., 20-30 minutes of a tempo run with 30 minutes of full-body strength training. I allow a day or two of low-intensity easy runs or walks for an active recovery. It may take some experimenting to find out what works for you. Listen to your body to know how to proceed.

SIGNS YOU NEED A REST DAY (OR WEEK)

Lack of energy

Foggy brain over several days

Sick more often

Elevated resting heart rate

Prolonged soreness, aches, and pain in the muscles and/or the joints

Unable to fall or stay asleep (poor sleep quality)

A deload week of low-intensity activities like walking, stretching, mobility exercises, and foam rolling can help restore your body so you can come back strong.

Are you ready to build your strength training for runners program? Let me know how it goes or if you have any questions. Need help from a coach? I can help you with one on one personal training in Fort Worth (limited availability) or with a customized program delivered online specifically built to your experience, abilities, goals, and preferences. Online coaching includes weekly phone check-ins, nutrition diary assessment, a running schedule and strength training program. I’d be happy to help.

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In this post you’ll learn how to build an effective strength training for runners program: What exercises to do, how many sets and reps to perform, how much rest to take, and how to combine your strength training with your running plan.

This week on the blog we are talking all about non-scale victories; alternative ways to measure progress in your health and fitness journey. Try these nine fitness tests, note your scores, and retest after several weeks of training. Improvements in your fitness do not always show up on the scale, sometimes they show in your performance.

If you’re a runner who needs to add strength training to your workout plan, I have a ton of exercise ideas you can perform with a heavy-duty Superband long loop resistance band. Take the Superband with you on your next run and knock out some resistance training on the go.

Runners need to pay attention to the middle child of the Glute muscles family, the Gluteus Medius. Try these exercises to strengthen this often neglected muscle, needed to keep the pelvis steady during runs.

Learn all about foam rolling: How to choose the correct foam roller, mobility tests to determine where you need to foam roll, advanced foam rolling techniques that go beyond the basics, learn how long and how often to foam roll for the best running performance and injury-prevention results!

Strength training isn’t cross training, it’s as important to your run training programing as the long run and intervals. Not sure where to start? Incorporate these five strength training moves into your next workout to build the runner-specific strength that will help you improve your run.